Bloomsburg Area YMCA Receives Donation

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BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg Area YMCA received a generous donation Thursday in Columbia County. Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships wrote the "Y" a check for $25,000.

The "Drums Alive" class works out every week at the Bloomsburg Area YMCA. The ladies dance and jump, but said the floor is hard on their knees.

"We've been working over the last couple of years to renovate this YMCA. It's a small one in a small community. The last thing we needed to do was replace this floor," said Roger Brown, Bloomsburg Area YMCA CEO.

Now the Bloomsburg Area YMCA will be able to do that, because of a generous donation. Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, a big supporter of the "Y", gave to it.

"I say to Adam, I'm going to Bloom to give them money for new mats, I said I would give $10,000. He said, dad that's not enough. Let's make an impact," said Blaise Alexander.

Officials with the Bloomsburg Area YMCA said around 700 people use the room every week. The people who work out there said the new floor will make a huge difference.

"It means safety to all of us. If we trip, this is not a safe floor. Plus it's going to look so much better," said Marie Pletcher of Bloomsburg.

"We have classes here starting at 6 a.m. or so up to around 9 p.m. There is something going on everyday and on weekends as well," said Brown.

The CEO of the Bloomsburg Area YMCA said he expects the new floor to be installed by the end of the year. The "Y" is not the only place that got a generous donation from Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships on Thursday.

The car dealership gave Central Columbia school district $10,000. The money will help the school district build an all-weather track that will also be open to the community. The school district, which is near Bloomsburg, also plans to put a turf field inside the track. Superintendent Harry Mathias said the donation will help move the project along.

"The idea was to not only address the needs of the school and the children in the school, but also the health and wellness needs of the whole community," said Mathias.

Central Columbia School District hopes to finish the track and field project by next fall, just in time for the 2013 school year.